Coil/alternator wiring advice needed please..

[Rick-Manta]

I've got a couple of connectors that come off the flat electronic ignition thingy that sits under the coil and not sure where they're supposed to go. I've done a short video as I'm not 100% that I've wired the coil and alternator correctly, so would appreciate any input. Thanks..

  

[Rick-Manta]

Looking at a wiring diagram someone kindly sent me, it looks like the black wire (ign/switched live, I do hate it when any live doesn't have red on it) powers the controller thing, so I can join that to the dual connector on the coil, however there's nothing else on that line, so assume I can just leave the second connector loose.

The green is just the rev counter, so at least I can get the car started before replacing the clip-on connector and just not have a working tach.

[mantasrme]

On Manta's Black is always Ignition live, Red is permanant live and Brown is earth. Its a very sensible way of doing things (not suprising as its German) its just other car manufacturers all have their own ideas so if you play with other cars too it can be confusing. Not aided by people adding things and using whatever colour wire they have to hand rather than keeping with the original colour plan.

As yours is a carb'd/points loom originally the clear coating wire to the coil is a resistance wire providing from memory 10v so you don't burn the points out. Someone has added that black wire that shares the crimp terminal at the coil. Because you need a full power supply to the coil when going to electronic injection. Personally i would check where that black wire is fed from, It needs to be a good ignition live source. If it is a good feed then the clear wire can actually be removed.

The black wire from the Iginiton Pack (the thingy under coil you mention) loom that has 2 terminals is normally used as a through connection. One goes to the +side of the coil and the wire that was on the coil goes into the other connector. This was done i think so Opel didn't have to change the loom from early to late, its just a plug in seperate loom

But often if there are 2 pins on the +side of the coil one black wire from dash goes to 1 pin and 1 black from ignition pack goes to the other pin, with the spare terminal of the mini loom just dangling there. That black wire is how the ignition pack gets power to do anything.

Also worth a note the brown wire from the mini loom needs to be to a good earth. Often its just on the self tapper screw that holds the coil bracket to the wing. Its worth checking that the terminal is clean and the hole/screw threads aren't crusty rusty things not letting a full earthing happen.

The green wire plug that is a little loose on the coil can actually be tightened up. If you get a small screwdriver or pick you can reach into the plug and bend the C shaped tube slightly smaller diameter so it grips better to the pin.

[Rick-Manta]

Thanks very much for the detailed explanation and for the tip on the loose post plug. It's a bit amateurish of me I know, but the last thing I need is burnt out electrics or a car fire, so had to ask. Oddly, my Cavalier has that secondary black ign live sharing the coil+ with the clear resistance wire, yet is still points/contact breaker which is why I didn't question it on this car.

I also pinched the two-way blade pin connector from a spare ballast type coil I have, so looks like I just need to connect it to the ignition pack and after checking quality of the earths, it's good to go. I remember having dim headlamps or main beam on one of my past Exclusives and it was just because of the small self tappers behind the lamps had gone rusty!

Thanks also to those who PMed wiring diagrams 

[Metalbasher]

Jumping on the back of this, any chance of a copy of the wiring diagram please, would help my memory greatly? Thanks in advance

[cam.in.head]

all correct as mentioned above.

also as you have seen is the double wires that the points ignition type has.(clear wire and black to same term) this is the  bypass feed from the starter motor to give full volts to the coil when cranking.the coil is only around 6-9v rated and must be changed if you ever convert a points car to 12v ignition (like the later std type) or the coil will soon boil itself !

 

[Rick-Manta]

Thank you! Similarly I've had to change identical-looking coils as the ones designed for electronic ignition aren't supposed to be used with points, although they work and will do so for a while but apparently can cause issues down the line. I was told they can burn out the points prematurely, but thought that was the idea of having a condenser.

Paul, I can't send upload or message pictures as it's for members/web members only, but come payday I must renew mine--I keep forgetting--so remind me in a couple of weeks.

[cam.in.head]

not sure why it could damage the points but it would certainly work as such. .but due to it being a 12v coil used via a ballast it would have a relatively weak spark.ok as a 'get you hone scenario 'if it was all you had.